Lord Vile's Guest
by NightcatMau
Summary: When Valkyrie wakes up she finds herself in a mysterious castle, the guest of Lord Vile. But what plans does the legendary general have for her? Currently a one-shot, but can become a storyline if enough readers like it. Yes, that means you have to review


A/N: I don't own Valkyrie, Skulduggery or Lord Vile. This is an expansion of a smaller one-shot from some other story line. Thanks go out to **PierDreams** and **khadijahsays** for requesting it be turned into a storyline.

* * *

Valkyrie felt like she'd been roaming the stone walled passages for hours. She'd awakened with a blazing headache, most likely from being knocked out. There had been a bottle labeled 'drink me' and although she'd known better from reading _Alice in Wonderland_ she did. Strangely enough all that happened was her headache cleared instantly and the lump she'd felt from being hit was gone.

There had been a note as well. 'Find me.' Whoever held her captive didn't waste much time on words. And she had to be a captive, didn't she? Valkyrie stumbled slightly and realized she's come to a threshold. She'd been walking on autopilot and cursed herself. She had no idea how to get back to the room she'd awakened in. She turned around, and of course the maze had sealed up behind her.

"Oh." She said to herself. That wasn't good, was it? With a sigh she stepped forward. A dungeon. How lovely. Torches provided a dim smoky light and Valkyrie tried to keep to the wall as she searched for a weapon, anything. The floors were slippy, the dungeon was cold and dank, and all she wanted was to be home again. She tried to remember how she'd been captured and couldn't other than a sickening blow to the head.

The cells were empty, most of the doors missing and it seemed to be a dead end. No food or drink, no clothes. Valkyrie walked to the centre of the large central room, fuming. "OK, you win. I didn't find you, so therefore I loose." She said loudly, her voice echoing eerily off the walls. But there was no response.

She walked towards the doorway she'd entered at, but the passage back was still sealed off. Now what? Bad guys usually pounced by now. She prowled the cells again, searching for a false wall anything, when she found it. Tucked in a shadowy corner, Vile's armour. She yelped and jumped back, half expecting it to attack. But it was inert, lifeless. After a few moments she started to touch the armour not sure why. Her fingers felt along each plate, each groove, for what? She didn't know but she knew she had to find it. There, under the visor. Another note. 'Release me.'

Release Lord Vile? "You're kidding, right? Do I look like the mayor of Crazy Town to you?" Valkyrie asked the armour half expecting an answer. "How would I even do that, Lord Vile?" _Bingo_. The armour shifted, seemed to come to life, but it wasn't possible, it had been empty-

Valkyrie scrambled backwards and Vile's gaze followed her. She knew better than to run. Vile was like a cat. Running just made him want to chase you. And it was clearly Vile inside, not just the empty armour. "Are you the one who attacked me?" She asked, and he shook his head no. "You saved me then?" She couldn't keep the shock out of her voice but luckily Vile looked amused.

He gestured for her to leave the cell and she did, hating turning her back on him but having little choice. She got to the centre of the main room again and felt Vile's gauntleted hand come to rest on her shoulder. The other gestured and a black mirror appeared in front of them. Valkyrie could see them darkly reflected, then he gestured again and she saw her attack. She'd been hit from behind with a war club by an ogre, the only thing saving her from certain death were the intercepting shadows that softened the blow.

She turned to Lord Vile as the mirror faded. "Thank you." She said. "You saved my life. But why?" She asked, but of course she knew why. Chilly tendrils of his shadows were already climbing up her body, touching, caressing as his arms wrapped around her and the visored head bent down to meet hers in a kiss that was so artic it left her breathless, yet hungry for more.

Vile pulled back slightly, then was touching the same artic sensation to her neck, his hands roaming slowly, getting her used to his frigid caress. Valkyrie sighed, closing her eyes and giving in to the sensation. She'd never even dreamed of Lord Vile as anything but the terror of the battlefield, but somehow this felt right. She pulled him in to another kiss, doing all she could to encourage him to go further. She thought she heard a soft sigh, then he was pulling back slightly to look at her.

Valkyrie gave him a smile smile of encouragement, at a loss for words. "I've- I've been dreaming of you, of meeting you like this." She admitted and he brought up a hand to gently caress her face. Valkyrie met his gaze, unafraid. It was intense, everything about the battle-hardened general was intense, but tender. Besides, she knew Vile well enough to know an attack would have been instant. Vile stepped back and titled his head, considering her. He came close again, wrapping his arms around her gently as his shadows swelled and when they fell she seemed to be in a room in a castle.

There was a rough table with a basket of bread and dried meat and a flask of what proved to be sweetwater. Vile watched Valkyrie as she ate, seemingly pleased she'd accepted his gesture of kindness. He stood by a roaring fireplace his black armour gleaming in the light. There was a tapestry above the fireplace in greys and black and she realized it must be Vile's crest. He caught her glance and she sensed his smile.

The crest itself looked like it had been designed by Vlad the Impaler. Broken into four quadrants it featured the demise of victims due to various shadow attacks. Cheerful. "I love it. It sends a message of strength." Valkyrie said and Vile bowed his head. Valkyrie found herself liking him and wondering that if it was Vile, what was in the armour? A spirit? A skeleton? She supposed it didn't matter.

Once she had eaten he led her through a torchlit passageway to a bedchamber done in the same greys and blacks as his crest. There was a bed canopied in rich black material, a dressing gown and nightclothes that looked romantic to Valkyrie. Vile gestured for her to change, gave a courtly bow and left the bedchamber.

Valkyrie dressed, wondering if he would appear again and got under the covers. After a while sleep claimed her. When she awoke it seemed to be morning though with no windows to speak of it was impossible to tell in her room. Clean clothes, also in black had been laid out for her and she dressed then followed the passage back to the room from the night before and found Vile waiting for her.

"Good morning, Lord Vile." She said as he approached, and happily stepped into his icy embrace. Vile's kiss was searing and his roaming hands sent delightful shivers over her body. Valkyrie did the best she could to respond in kind, opening her mouth and caressing his armour tenderly, reveling in the metallic iciness as her hands roamed his armour. Vile seemed to be able to feel her touch, the armour seemed as sensitive as her skin to Valkyrie. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, pulling her body flush to his and the artic sensation almost made her pass out. Valkyrie blinked and Vile was tenderly sitting her down to breakfast. He went to stand by the fireplace once more, seemingly amused.

Valkyrie blushed slightly. "Thank you, for all of this. For rescuing me, for last night." Now he really seemed amused and she blushed furiously. "That's _not_ what I meant." She said and could have sworn she heard soft laughter in response. She shook her head and went back to her breakfast, wondering not for the first time if her partner was still in there somewhere, and if he ever planned on coming out.

Valkyrie felt a little guilty because she didn't want to say Skulduggery's name and break the spell. Surely she'd awake and find herself in a Sanctuary infirmary bed with a major concussion and Skulduggery scolding her. But he could never come back, could he? He'd pulled that trick once before and if he did it again? There would be no place for him to hide. The Sanctuary would hunt him down and kill him for his past crimes. "We can never go back, can we?" She asked softly and Lord Vile looked at her, his gaze gentle and seemingly sympathetic.

"It's OK you know, I'm happy to be here with you. You planned to bring me here for a long time, didn't you?" Vile tilted his head curiously and she obliged him.

"The clothes fit me too well to be a random guess and all the bedclothes were new. There's no way those silk sheets are centuries old." She felt his approving grin. So maybe some of the detective was left, or he just liked that she was clever.

"Are we still in Ireland?" She asked and Vile looked away.

"Please. I'm not trying to escape but you know how they'll thank you. They're probably hunting us both down, even now. They won't care that you showed up to save me. And when they realize both you and Skulduggery are missing and that I'm gone as well-" She shrugged helplessly and thought she heard a soft sigh. "I don't want them to hurt you." She said, rising to go to him.

"You saved me and I know you love me. At least tell me this, are we safe from them here?" She asked and Lord Vile stared at her for the longest time then nodded. Her breakfast finished he escorted her through other rooms of the castle, all without windows and Valkyrie wondered if they were below ground. They'd be safer that way, but she didn't dare ask too many questions.

She wasn't afraid of Vile, but she didn't want him to shut down on her either. She guessed he was a lot like Skulduggery and that being pressed or backed into a corner would either anger him or make him shut down. She knew Vile loved her so she trusted him to tell her what she needed to know through his actions. He led her to a large library and tilted his head, awaiting her reaction. "Lord Vile, it's wonderful! It must have taken you forever to collect all these books." He seemed to shrug slightly. Valkyrie examined the books and again, they were far too modern for Vile to have had them for centuries. The entire castle it seemed, was decorated for her comfort.

She picked out a best-selling crime novel that wasn't even six months old and looked at him. "You really do love me, don't you? You showed me a larder, pantry, all the other rooms, this. You made a home for me. You can't have any idea how much that means to me." She set the novel down on a leather reading chair and went to Vile, wrapping her arms around his neck. He was still icy cold, but she didn't care. "I love you." She whispered and then she kissed him, full and deep.

Vile responded and soon Valkyrie was loosing herself to his caress and she only wanted that moment to go on forever as his arms held her safe and secure. Vile broke off the kiss and she could feel the loving warmth in his gaze. He brought her head to his armoured chest and for the longest time he simply held her.

* * *

OK then we have a start to our story at the very least. I'm launching this as is. I'll be tired from this infection for weeks. But if people show enough interest I might continue.


End file.
